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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 15, 2021 12:49 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Dan Frankel |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Prescription Drug Affordability Board |
| Americans are struggling now more than ever to pay for lifesaving medications, having accrued $45 billion in medical debt during the pandemic. Despite this, GoodRx reported that 589 drugs have already seen price hikes in 2021. Even large employers are struggling to keep their costs down. New drugs coming to market have been priced at 2.1 million dollars (Zolgensma, by Novartis) and employers are being forced to choose between paying for one sick employee and keeping plans solvent. In a 2019 survey of large employers conducted by the National Business Group on Health, 85 percent of employers cited pharmacy pricing as their predominant concern. Pennsylvanians should not serve as casualties to the pricing and intellectual property battles that place lifesaving drugs out of reach for many. My legislation would help re-balance the scales of health access by establishing the Prescription Drug Affordability Board. The board would assess whether certain drugs pose affordability burdens and set limits on the amount that pharmacies, providers, patients, health plans, and wholesalers pay for them. Affordable health access, like safety, food and shelter, is a basic human right. At a time when federal inaction has pit states against each other and put millions of lives at stake, we must do all we can as state legislators to ensure that this right is preserved in Pennsylvania. Please stand with me for healthcare based on value, not incentives, by supporting this important legislation. Previous sponsors: RABB, HILL-EVANS, KINSEY, ZABEL, MADDEN, SCHLOSSBERG, McNEILL, DeLUCA, WILLIAMS, HOWARD, JOHNSON-HARRELL, A. DAVIS, READSHAW, DEASY, YOUNGBLOOD, FREEMAN, CIRESI, HANBIDGE, GALLOWAY, ULLMAN, INNAMORATO, BURNS, PASHINSKI, LEE, KULIK, MALAGARI, KORTZ, HARKINS, RAVENSTAHL, BIZZARRO, MERSKI, DALEY, WARREN, OTTEN, SIMS, BOBACK, HOHENSTEIN, ISAACSON, O'MARA, KIM and DELLOSO |
Introduced as HB1722